Debbie Buchman (Robin Bartlett)

Debbie was introduced as Paul’s sister in Season 2. Most of Debbie’s early episodes depict her struggles as a married mother and busy business woman. In Season 3 Debbie revealed that she and her husband of 15 years, Gary, were getting a divorce.

Coming out

Debbie came out as a lesbian in 4×10. She revealed she was seeing a woman named Joan and that she “experimented” in college. When she came out to her family, her father took it well, Paul was too shocked to react and her mother threatened to jump out of the window.

Season 5

Debbie officially introduced Joan as her girlfriend to her family in 5×01 and despite Debbie’s fears, her parents loved her. Debbie and Joan made brief appearances sporadically throughout the season, although mostly separately as Joan become Jamie’s gynecologist when she and Paul tried to have a baby.

Season 6

In 6×02, Joan admitted that she sometimes fantasized about sleeping with Debbie’s male cousin Ira, writing in a letter that in another life they might have had a chance. When Ira found out he became obsessed with it and ended up insulting Debbie and then groped Joan, who pushed him away. The storyline was handled as a joke.

In 6×19, Debbie was upset when she discovered that Joan had accepted a nomination as one of “The 20 most Eligible Bachelorettes in New York”. They argue over Joan’s willingness to pretend to be single and straight but after a kitchen fire, Joan proposed marriage, they both professed their love for each other and kissed for the first and only time in the series.

Season 7

Debbie and Joan returned in 7×03, before their wedding, when Joan saw Debbie flirting and then making out with male character Chris. Debbie then made a few appearances during the season, but Joan was not shown or mentioned again until the series final where it was revealed that Debbie and Joan eventually reconciled and continued to be a couple until at least the year of 2021.

Appearances:

29 episodes. Credited in 46 episodes

Female love interests:

Joan Golfinos (Suzie Plakson, lesbian, recurring, wife)

Relationship story arc with a woman: Yes

Male love interests:

Chris (Don McManus, guest 1 episode)

Gary (off-screen, ex-husband)

Herbie Renolds (off-screen, ex-boyfriend)

Relationship story arc with a man: No

Male love interest after being identified as a lesbian? Yes

Filter Relationship Arc:

Storyline during sweeps? Yes, their only kiss was during first day of May's sweeps season 1998

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.